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Thursday, October 20, 2011
Terracotta Army
Terracotta Army (Terracotta Warriors and Horses) is a clay army of more than 8,000 life-size terra cotta figures of soldiers and horses discovered in 1974 in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China after they were buried underground for more than 2200 years. The Terracotta Army is now regarded as the Eighth Wonder of the World.
Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the first Emperor of all China, had begun to work for his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his after life.
The Terracotta Army was discovered in the spring of 1974 to the east of Xi'an in Shaanxi province by a group of farmers when they were digging a water well around 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the Qin emperor's tomb mound at Mount Li (Lishan), a region riddled with underground springs and watercourses. For centuries, there had been occasional reports of pieces of terracotta figures and fragments of the Qin necropolis — roofing tiles, bricks, and chunks of masonry — having been dug up in the area. This most recent discovery prompted Chinese archaeologists to investigate, and they unearthed the largest pottery figurine group ever found in China.
The State Council authorized to build a museum on site in 1975. When completed, people from far and near came to visit. Xian and the Museum of Qin Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses have become landmarks on all travelers' itinerary.
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Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Rising Up upon Hearing the Crow of a Rooster to Practise Sword
Zu Ti of the Jin Dynasty (265-420) was a big-hearted and farsighted person who, however, was very naughty and did not like to study when he was a small kid. When he became a young man, he felt acutely that his knowledge was inadequate and that he could not serve his country well if he did not study hard. So he put all his energies into his study. He read extensively, seriously studied history from which he absorbed rich knowledge, and made good progress in his studies. He had been to the capital city Luoyang several times, and all the people who had come into contact with him said that Zu Ti was a talented person who was capable of assisting the emperor in governing the country. When he was 24, someone recommended him to be an official, but he refused the post. He was still making a sustained effort in his studies. Later, both Zu Ti and Liu Kun, his close friend since early childhood, were appointed chief clerks responsible for document administration in the Sizhou Prefecture. He and Liu Kun cherished a deep affection for each other. They not only often shared the same bed in sleeping, but also shared the same lofty ideals; to render meritorious service in rejuvenating the Jin Dynasty and play the part of the pillars of the state. Once, Zu Ti heard a cock crow in the wasteland in his dream at midnight. He kicked Liu Kun a wake, saying to him: "People say it is inauspicious to hear a cock crow in the wasteland. I don't think so. What about getting up and practicing sword playing the moment we hear the cock crow form now on?" Liu Kun agreed readily. So every day when the cock crow, they got up and practiced sword playing, the cold steel of the swords glinting and flashing. Day by day and year in, year out, they never stopped. As the saying goes, constant effort yields sure success. Through long periods of hard study and training, they finally become versatile persons versed in both civil and military affairs. They could write good essays, and were capable of leading troops in fighting victoriously. Zu Ti was invested with the title the General for Guarding the Western Regions, thus realizing his wish of rendering meritorious service to the country. Liu Kun became a governor, and at same time was in charge of the military affairs of the three prefectures of Bingzhou, Jizhou and Youzhou. In discharging his duties, Liu Kun also fully displayed his talent in both polite letters and martial arts. This story appears in "The Life of Zu Ti" in The History of the Jin Dynasty. From this story people have coined the set phrase" rising up upon hearing the crow of a rooster to practice sword playing' to signify that someone is exerting himself to do something worthwhile. It is also used to signify that a person of noble aspirations exerts himself in time.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Paper Cuts
translate English to Chinese:
剪纸在中国北方特别盛行,窗户上、门上、屋顶上、新房里随处可见。 原先人们认为剪纸是女性的艺术,农村的许多地方,女孩子从小就要学习剪纸了。有人说女孩子剪纸的水平就是智慧的体现。剪纸的图样取材于古代陶器和岩画中的人物形象。有的像青蛙、蛇、鱼、龙,还有古代的神仙。剪纸通常具有象征性,老虎图案的剪纸暗含中国文化中的长寿;树和鹿头代表恒久;鱼荷花葫芦龙凤代表对孩子的美好祝愿。
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival is one of the significant traditional holidays in China. The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated by boat races in the shape of dragons. Competing teams row their boats forward to a drumbeat racing to reach the finish end first. The boat races during the Dragon Boat Festival are traditional customs to attempt to rescue the patriotic poet Chu Yuan. Chu Yuan drowned on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in 277 B.C. Chinese citizens now throw bamboo leaves filled with cooked rice into the water. Therefore the fish could eat the rice rather than the hero poet. This later on turned into the custom of eating rice dumplings.
English Chinese translation:
端午节是中国的一个很重要的传统节日之一。人们会以赛龙舟的比赛活动来庆祝端午节,参赛小组划着龙舟朝着鼓声前进,最终达到终点。在端午节赛龙舟的传统习俗是为了试图搭救爱国诗人屈原。他在公元前农历五月初五投河自尽。中国人如今把裹着竹叶的熟糯米丢入江中平息江中的蛟龙,希望他们不要将屈原吃掉。这后来演变成中国人在端午节吃粽子的习俗。
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Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Waking of Insects
The traditional East Asian calendars divide a year into 24 solar terms. Jīngzhé (pīnyīn) is the 3rd solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 345° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 360°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 345°. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around March 5 and ends around March 20.
The word 惊蛰 has the meaning of awakening of hibernated insects. 惊 is startling, and 蛰 is hibernated (insects). The traditional Chinese farming culture said that during Jingzhe, thunderstorms will wake up the hibernated insects, which also means the weather is getting warm.
It's also referred to as Longtaitou Festival or Dragon-Head-Raising Festival. In the tradition of Chinese culture, the dragon is believed to be the king of all insects and at same time, it is also believed to be in charge of bringing rains, and both of these are important factors in ancient agricultural society.
Today, Longtaitou Festival is celebrated in various ways, most of which are still identical to those practiced in the ancient times, including eating Chinese pancakes and noodles. Perfume bags filled with the powder of ground fragrant herbs are made to be carried by women and children for good fortune, though they are no longer used as insect repellent as in ancient times.
农历中将一年分为24个节气,惊蛰是第三个,通常指太阳位于黄经345度时的那一天,也即差不多在阳历
“惊蛰”意为“惊醒冬眠的昆虫”。惊蛰期间,雷雨增多,因此冬眠的虫类会被惊起,这也意味着天气会越来越暖。
惊蛰又被称作“龙抬头”,因为龙一抬头,就会下雨嘛。在农业社会,人们相当看重一年的降雨。
今天惊蛰日的庆祝方式多种多样,但是人们仍然保存着像吃春饼和面条这样的传统。妇女和小孩会佩戴香囊,以求好运,虽然今天的香囊已经不再像过去那样,主要是起驱虫的作用。
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Monday, February 28, 2011
Zero-Pascal Clan
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Social Chameleon
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Overburdened IPOD Generation
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Milk Brain
Thursday, February 17, 2011
The Lantern Festival
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
English Chinese translation of the custom of Spring Festival
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Valentine's Day recipes
Thursday, January 27, 2011
English Chinese Translation of A Famous Ballad--Jasmine Flower
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
English Chinese Translation of Oldest Tree
Monday, January 24, 2011
English Chinese Translation of Biggest Ancient Building Complex
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
English Chinese translation of Chinese Traditional Kite Craft
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Chinese Chopsticks
English Chinese translation of eight famous Chinese liquors
Sunday, January 16, 2011
English Chinese Translation of Chinese Traditional Clothing - Chinese Cheongsam
Saturday, January 15, 2011
English chinese translation of Chinese Handicrafts – Jingtailan
Thursday, January 13, 2011
English Chinese Translation of Chinese Traditional Clothing - Costume in the Han Dynasty
English Chinese Translation of Advertisement 4
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
English Chinese translation of Chinese festivity Laba
Sunday, January 9, 2011
English Chinese Translation of Advertisement 3
Friday, January 7, 2011
English Chinese Translation of Advertisement 2
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
English Chinese Translation of Advertisement 1
Chinese Ceramic
"Ceramic" is a generic term, "Tao" and "Porcelain" in texture, the physical properties there are very different.
The emergence of pottery dating back about 1 million years or so,
Ceramic (Ceramics), the general term for pottery and porcelain, refers to the traditional concept of all inorganic non-metallic minerals such as clay as raw material of artificial industrial products. It consists of clay from or containing a mixture of clay by kneading, molding, and calcined made of a variety of products. By the most rough-earth to the most refined of the fine pottery and porcelain are it. For its main raw materials are derived from natural silicate minerals (such as clay, feldspar, quartz, etc.), and glass, cement, ceramic, refractory material, such as industry, with an "industrial silicate" (Silicate Industry) Area.
The history of ceramics is the history of Chinese civilization is an important part of China, as one of the four ancient civilizations, human development and social progress made outstanding contributions, including the invention of ceramics and the development of a more unique significance, The history of China-North Korea on behalf of all the different artistic styles and different technical characteristics. English of "china"
As early as the Europeans have porcelain manufacturing technology over 1000 years ago, Chinese people have created a very fine ceramics.
The so-called pottery and porcelain refers to the use of plastic ware and porcelain clay quarry to do matrix, quartz and feldspar, and other raw materials-glaze, and through the forming, drying, firing from the products, mainly for daily use, art, and architecture Three pottery. Archaeological discoveries have proved that the Chinese people as early as the Neolithic Age (about 8000 BC) invented pottery. The emergence of primitive society with advanced agricultural production so that the ancestors of the Chinese people lead a life of a relatively fixed, the objective of pottery with the demand. In order to improve people's lives easier, improve the quality of life, gradually burn through the burning out of the clay pottery.
With the development of modern science and technology, and the past 100 years there have been many new varieties of ceramics. They no longer use or the use of small clay, feldspar, quartz and other traditional ceramic materials, but the use of other special materials, and even extended to non-silicate, non-oxide scope, and there have been a lot of new technology. The
To date, the Definition of ceramics may be generally described as follows: The ceramic is aluminum silicate minerals such as oxides or as the main raw material, in accordance with the intention of people through specific physical and chemical processes at a high temperature to a certain degree of Temperature and atmosphere made of a certain type of rock technology. Glazing may be on the surface or glazing, porcelain has a number of different levels of transparency and a half, the species by one or more of the crystal and amorphous or cement and clinker with pores or inclusions, such as micro-structure.
A wide variety of ceramic products, their chemical composition, mineral composition, physical properties, as well as manufacturing methods, often close to each other staggered, no boundaries, and in the application there is a huge difference. Therefore, it is difficult to be summed up in a few hard and fast system, a detailed classification of the various different view, the international community to now there is no uniform classification.
"陶瓷"是一种通称,"陶"和"瓷"在质地上、物理性能上有很大区别。中国是最早制造陶器的国家之一,是最早发明瓷器的国家。
陶器的出现大约在距今1万年左右,中国进入新石器时代,开始了定居生活,盛水、蓄物等日常生活的需要,促使了陶器的发明。中国陶器的分布比较广泛,主要集中的在黄河流域和长江流域。其中仰韶文化是新石器时期比较有代表性的文化类型,以彩陶为特点,也称"彩陶文化",它派生出半坡和庙底沟两个类型,装饰图案有很高的艺术价值。马家窑文化是新石器晚期的文化类型,比仰韶文化略晚,距今约5000年。黑陶是继彩陶之后的又一伟大创造发明,距今约4000年的龙山文化时期,出现了工艺独特的蛋壳陶。近些年来,山东、河北一带多有仿制,有较高的收藏价值。秦汉时期的陶俑,是我国古代人物雕塑的高峰,使制陶技术和艺术达到了很高的境地。此外,唐代的三彩器、明清两代的紫砂器等,都是中国陶器文物的重要内容,很值得深入收藏和研究。
陶瓷,陶器和瓷器的总称。陶瓷的传统概念是指所有以粘土等无机非金属矿物为原料的人工工业产品。它包括由粘土或含有粘土的混合物经混炼,成形,煅烧而制成的各种制品。由最粗糙的土器到最精细的精陶和瓷器都属于它的范围。对于它的主要原料是取之于自然界的硅酸盐矿物(如粘土、长石、石英等),因此与玻璃、水泥、搪瓷、耐火材料等工业,同属于"硅酸盐工业"的范畴。
陶瓷的发展史是中华文明史的一个重要的组成部分,中国作为四大文明古国之一,为人类社会的进步和发展做出了卓越的贡献,其中陶瓷的发明和发展更具有独特的意义,中国历史上各朝各代不同艺术风格和不同技术特点。英文中的"china"既有中国的意思,又有陶瓷的意思,清楚地表明了中国就是"陶瓷的故乡"。
早在欧洲人掌握瓷器制造技术一千多年前,中国人就已经制造出很精美的陶瓷器。中国是世界上最早应用陶器的国家之一,而中国瓷器因其极高的实用性和艺术性而备受世人的推崇。
所谓陶器和瓷器是指用可塑性制瓷粘土和瓷石矿做胎体,用长石和石英等原料制釉,并且通过成型、干燥、烧制而成的制品,主要有日用、艺术、和建筑陶器等三种。考古发现已经证明中国人早在新石器时代(约公元前8000)就发明了陶器。原始社会晚期出现的农业生产使中国人的祖先过上了比较固定的生活,客观上对陶器有了需求。人们为了提高生活的方便,提高生活质量,逐渐通过烧制粘土烧制出了陶器。
随着近代科学技术的发展,近百年来又出现了许多新的陶瓷品种。它们不再使用或很少使用粘土、长石、石英等传统陶瓷原料,而是使用其他特殊原料,甚至扩大到非硅酸盐,非氧化物的范围,并且出现了许多新的工艺。美国和欧洲一些国家的文献已将"Ceramic"一词理解为各种无机非金属固体材料的通称。因此陶瓷的含义实际上已远远超越过去狭窄的传统观念了。
迄今为止,陶瓷器的界说似可概括地作如下描述:陶瓷是用铝硅酸盐矿物或某些氧化物等为主要原料,依照人的意图通过特定的物理化学工艺在高温下以一定的温度和气氛制成的具有一定型式的工艺岩石。表面可施釉或不施釉,若干瓷质还具有不同程度的半透明度,通体是由一种或多种晶体或与无定形胶结物及气孔或与熟料包裹体等微观结构组成。
陶瓷工业是硅酸盐工业的主要分支之一,属于无机化学工业范围.但现代科学高度综合,互相渗透,从整个陶瓷工业制造工艺的内容来分析,它的错综复杂与牵涉之广,显然不是仅用无机化学的理论所能概括的。
陶瓷制品的品种繁多,它们之间的化学成分.矿物组成,物理性质,以及制造方法,常常互相接近交错,无明显的界限,而在应用上却有很大的区别。因此很难硬性地归纳为几个系统,详细的分类法各家说法不一,到现在国际上还没有一个统一的分类方法。
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Monday, January 3, 2011
Chinese Dream Culture
The Hollywood blockbuster Inception wowed audiences around world, more and more people are interested in dream exploration.
Dreams are reflections of humans’ inner spaces and a connection between human subconscious and consciousness. And in human civilizations, dreams have always been regarded as a mystery. In primitive tribes, dreams were thought to be the indication of God or the haunting of the devil.
梦反映出人类内心世界,以及潜意识和意识之间的联系。在人类文明史上,梦始终被人们视为一个谜。在原始部落中,梦被当成天神降临或是妖魔附体。
Ancient Stories about Dreams in China
中国古代有关梦的故事
Dream culture is an important part of ancient Chinese culture. There are many ancient stories about dreams in China, and the most famous one is Zhuangzhou Dreamt of Butterfly.
梦文化是中国古代文化的重要组成部分。中国有很多关于梦的古老传说,其中最著名的要数“庄周梦蝶”。
There are also some other stories on dreams such as Golden Millet Dream and Jiang Yan dreamt about the blooming of his writing brush.
此外,还有一些故事是关于梦的,如“黄粱美梦”和“江淹梦笔生花”等。
The Book Duke of Zhou Interprets Dreams
《周公解梦》
Dream interpreting is popular in China, and the most famous reference for dream interpreting is the book Duke of Zhou Interprets Dreams.
解梦在中国十分流行,最为家喻户晓的解梦书籍当属《周公解梦》。
Ancient Chinese people thought that dreams can imply auspicious and inauspicious things. The book Duke of Zhou Interprets Dreams was usually used as a reference for ancient people to interpret their dreams. Since different dreams have different meanings, people can get implications of auspiciousness or inauspiciousness by interpreting them, as ancient people had the idea that dreams were the implication from God.
古人认为梦可以预示吉兆和厄运。古人常常参照《周公解梦》一书来解读梦境。由于梦的意义更不相同,人们可以通过解梦来得知吉凶祸福的预兆。古人把梦当作是神的意旨。
Dream Interpreting Has Some Scientific Basis
解梦具有一定科学根据
Actually, dream interpreting is not totally a superstition. It does have some scientific merit.
其实,解梦并非完全迷信。解梦确有一定的科学道理。
1. Dream is the reflection of fact. Many dreams are actually the repetition of things that happened in an awakened state. This kind of dream can be easily understood without dream interpreting.
1. 梦会反映现实。很多梦实际上是在清醒状态下发生的事情的重演。无须解梦,人们就能轻易读懂这类梦。
2. Dream is the body’s self-implication. Traditional Chinese medical science stated that dreams are related to the health condition of human’s bodies. When Yin and Yang are unbalanced, dreams come into being. According to Chinese philosophy, Yin and Yang were two opposing principles in nature: the former negative, the latter positive. Yin is female and Yang is male.
2. 梦是机体自身的暗示。中医药学指出,梦与人体健康息息相关。当阴阳失衡时,便会做梦。依照中国哲学,阴阳是截然相反的两种自然属性:前者为负,后者为正。阴为女性,阳为男性。
If someone dreamt that he or she was roasted by a big fire and it is too hot to bear, it means the body’s inner heat is too strong. As a result, he or she may easily get angry or nervous.
如果梦见自己被大火炙烤,并且燥热难耐,那么就意味着你内火过重。因此,你的外在表现为容易发怒或紧张。
3. Dreams are usually contrary to the facts, which coincide with the philosophy that things will develop in the opposite direction when they become extreme.
3. 梦通常与事实相反,这正好与物极必反的哲学思想相吻合。
Based on the experiences and practices, an anonymous author wrote a book for interpreting dreams and predicting the auspiciousness and inauspiciousness, which was named Duke of Zhou Interprets Dreams.
基于经验与实践,一位不知名的作者写了一本用于解梦和预言吉凶的书,这本书便是《周公解梦》。
As ancient Chinese peoples’ wisdom and experiences crystallized, Duke of Zhou Interprets Dreams became less regarded as a superstition. To some degree, it is scientifically reasonable. Handed down over thousands of years, the profound book still has many mysteries waiting for us to explore.
作为古人智慧与经验的结晶,人们愈发意识到《周公解梦》不是迷信之谈。在某种程度上,它是科学合理的。《周公解梦》这本留传百年的巨著仍有很多未解之谜等待我们去探索。